Mississippi candidate for attorney general says the state isn’t doing enough to protect workers

By MICHAEL GOLDBERG
Associated Press/Report for America

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A candidate for Mississippi attorney general says that elected officials must play a more aggressive role in protecting labor rights. Greta Kemp Martin, the Democratic nominee for attorney general, rolled out a plan to create a fair labor division within her office if elected. The division would investigate and litigate cases involving child labor, wage violations and unsafe working conditions. The push to strengthen the enforcement of labor laws comes on the heels of a push by lawmakers in some states to loosen child labor regulations amid high demand for workers. Incumbent Republican Attorney General Lynn Fitch says she helped pass a state equal pay law and does not support the creation of a fair labor division.